To help encourage conversations and dialogue about the 'season of Thanksgiving' and gratitude, our topic/question of the week is: What are you thankful for this year? Gratitude (Week of 11/19/17) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
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Our weekend started off in a wonderful way as we attended the opening night production of Elf Jr. at Blake - I was once again impressed by our students - kudos to all! A special thanks to Tracy for her leadership and commitment to all of our students, and the thanks is also extended to all of the other adults who led, guided, and supported our students in this endeavor (I hope I'm not missing anyone) - Maureen Doctoroff, Nancy M., Nancy D., Susie, Kathleen, Kerrie, Kim Price, and Joyce Sabia. We then had a typical sports-yard work-family time weekend, as we also began preparing our menus for our upcoming Thanksgiving feasts! Sunday night we enjoyed getting together with our British friends for their annual Guy Fawkes Night party (a little later than usual this year!).
At this time of year, specifically the week of Thanksgiving, I do my best to set aside some concerted time to reflect upon and name those things I am thankful for. Although I wish I could say I was better about carving out time throughout the year, the dedicated holiday and time off certainly helps to acknowledge and live the practice of gratitude. One of the 'things' I am most grateful for is the spirit and practice of learning and continuous learning - over the last two weeks I was fortunate to attend the Learning and the Brain (thanks again to MCPE for their generosity and support!) and EdTechTeacher Summit conferences. I look forward in the coming weeks to share this learning, discuss the learning, and learn from all of you as we reflect together. For now, though, I want to channel (as I have attempted to do in the past) Tom Whitby, expressing some sentiments of gratitude through the lens of relevance and traditions they are not mutually exclusive...
Part 1 - Relevance (embodying traditions as well)...
I have named below some of the things I am thankful for this year in the context of the Blake learning community, highlighting a post or blog that brings meaning and relevance to my thanks...
I am thankful that our Blake staff and community is willing to name, acknowledge, and reexamine our assumptions...
3 Assumptions Teachers Should Avoid
by Johanna Rauhala in Edutopia
I came across this post last week and it resonated with me as I find that I can 'fall into these traps' from time to time - they are great reminders for all. Three assumptions that can lead to frustration: I should know this; The kids should know this; I should be better/do better.
In working with teachers, both new and veteran, I have also found that some assumptions—particularly those that pertain to ourselves and to our students—can cause frustration, leading to burnout. Beliefs we have about how we should operate or how students should behave can sometimes cloud our vision, preventing us from seeing who stands before us. Luckily, if we’re aware of these assumptions, we can work to counteract them.
I am thankful for our collective willingness to reexamine our practices and adjust accordingly...
Beyond Ditching the Desks, 9 Creative Ways to Avoid the Cemetery Effect for All Classrooms
by Thomas C. Murray (@thomascmurray)
I remember hearing this concept a couple of years ago, but I was reminded of it when I attended the Learning & the Brain conference last weekend - the notion of the 'cemetery effect' in classrooms.
My heart sunk when I thought about how this space – a cemetery – resembled the first classroom learning environment that I had created for my first class of fourth graders. No, the students weren’t zombies, nor were my thoughts morbid. The physical environment –the learning space – that I created early on as a teacher, would have looked almost identical to the cemetery if drawn on a map...Spaces like the one in a country field in Pennsylvania are not the only thing that have remained virtually the same for decades or longer. Side-by-side images of classrooms from 1915 and ones from 2015 yield eerie similarities, even after 100-years of life changing research and innovation.
How can schools and classrooms transform from an industrial era model yielding teacher-centric environments with desks in rows and all students facing forward, to ones that are student-centered, personalized, and leverage the power of technology?
I am thankful for the energy, commitment, and professionalism that our staff brings every day - viewing challenges as opportunities and creating their own change...
Only Schools Can End Schools
by George Couros (@gcouros)
It is hard for me to not include a post from George Couros as I am truly thankful for the inspiration he provides and for his model of leadership.
I am not a fan of the “school is broken” narrative. The people who need to hear it, don’t, and the people that it is often targeted toward, are the ones working their butts off to make amazing things happen for kids on a continuous basis. There are lots of things about current schools that I love, that are not necessarily new, but are the norm when I went to school as a student. Schools get way too little credit for what they do right, and often, when they are doing great things, the focus immediately shifts to find the weaknesses.
I am not worried about some major disruption happening to schools because I see so many educators and organizations creating their own change, not waiting for someone to do it to or for them. They are also doing it within constraints and in the constant face of adversity. That is what makes educators amazing. But we can just never become complacent with “what was” or we could lose our opportunity at “what could have been.” Educators have more control of the future of schools than any outside source will.
I am thankful that we are a community of learners who are future-oriented and are continuously looking to adapt to acquire and learn to best work with and serve our students...
What Qualities Will Future Teachers Need?
by Andy Hargreaves (@AndyHargreavesBC)
Reflecting on the conferences I have attended and readings from this fall, it has been important for me to think about the essence of what we really need to be focusing on as educators. I really appreciate the views of Hargreaves as he shares that we as educators (and, I think as simply caring adults) will need to exercise both more authority and less authority in the days that lie ahead for our students.
Some people think that technology, apps, or algorithms, will replace teachers. But they’re wrong. Others people think that teaching will continue exactly as it’s done for the last one hundred and fifty years – teaching from the front, question and answer, seat work, and tests. But they’re wrong too. So what will technology do for the role of the teacher, when humanity is going through profound transformations? The teacher will need both less authority and more authority.
This is the job of a well-prepared, not merely enthusiastic, teacher: to help the learner learn in relation to the principles of learning and in relation to the ethics of what it means to be human and in relationship with each other. This is why the teacher will need to have less authority – to be a facilitator, supporter, stimulus and guide; not a blowhard who just bluffs.
The teacher will also need more authority...People will always want teachers who know some things extraordinarily well, almost more than anybody else. As a teacher, facilitate a lot, but also don’t be afraid to be a tour de force in your own area of expertise either. Expertise, wisdom and knowledge have become devalued too easily. Teachers can’t know everything or bluff, but when they really know what they are talking about, they should still be able to set their classes on fire.
So when we think of the teacher of the future and the skills, knowledge, and sheer professional capital that they will need, the question is: How do we deliberately develop these? Teachers learn best and improve most when they work with other teachers, when they have access to their practice, experience, students, knowledge, and insight...Alone, none of us knows everything, but together we can know almost everything we need right now, and become more aware of what we still need to know in the future.
I am thankful to have the privilege of being an educator and working in a wonderful community...
Response: 'It's an Exciting Time to Be an Educator'
by Larry Ferlazzo (@larryferlazzo) in Education Week Teacher
Ferlazzo is a prolific blogger and it is both affirming and enlightening to read these 'thankful thoughts' from other educators. This post is part 2 of a 3-part series.
Part 2 - Traditions (embodying relevance as well)...
I took a look back at my blog posts and sentiments shared last year and I was struck by how true and meaningful they are today. Rather than try and rephrase and/or manufacture these words and thoughts, I am re-sharing them below with a few tweaks - please know that the depth and breadth of my thanks and gratitude are true, heartfelt, and sincere...
Shared and modified a bit from years past...
As a nod to traditions I am sharing a few thoughts that I feel are always important to share as we near the Thanksgiving holiday. Although they read and sound familiar and repetitive each year, I promise that the sincerity of the sentiments continue to grow in their depth. We will be coming together as a Blake community for our annual Celebration of Voice assembly on Wednesday to share our gratitude and have fun! As I share each year, Thanksgiving is a holiday that holds great significance for me and my family since an accident I experienced while running eight years ago. Katie and I find ourselves, both individually and collectively, filled with gratitude and appreciation for the response of our Holliston and Blake/Medfield communities for the care and support that we received at that time. I will be sharing my gratitude Wednesday at the assembly, but I also know that I can not share it enough - thank you. It is a privilege to work in a community that has both fostered and encouraged my growth while also showing deep care for my family. I have shared these words from President Kennedy and the post below the last few years and will be sure to continue bringing them to light each year...
(7:13)
I encourage everyone to find seven minutes this week to watch the clip and share with others.
In Praise of Gratitude
from Harvard Mental Health Letter
I shared this brief post last year - my very dear friend Mike Norton, who has done extensive work on happiness, sent it to me last year. It provides a nice explanation for why gratitude is important and also offers tips to be more grateful.
In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new in the hopes it will make them happier, or thinking they can't feel satisfied until every physical and material need is met. Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. And, although it may feel contrived at first, this mental state grows stronger with use and practice.
Each year it is equally important to to recognize and remember that this time of year can be a particularly stressful and emotional one for students and adults. Personal situations, the loss of loved ones, or memories can bring forth many emotions, so please be sure to look out for one another and also rely on the community for support. Although I wish I could, I know it is not realistic for me to have the opportunity to personally wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving before Wednesday afternoon. So, Happy Thanksgiving! I am incredibly grateful to be a part of the Blake community and believe we are making a difference. Let us be sure to maintain a culture and spirit of eternal vigilance for learning, listening, and gratitude.
I look forward to the work that lies ahead for all of us.
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Take care.
Nat